Ryan Day's Son Admits Ohio State Wasn't 'Best Place' For Him

RJ Day, the son of Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, announced his commitment on Sunday. The son of the national title-winning head coach committed to one of Ohio State's Big Ten rivals. RJ Day will be playing for Northwestern.

The three-star quarterback recruit out of Columbus, Ohio announced his commitment on social media.

"I committed to Northwestern because of the mix of academics and high-level football," said Day, per 247Sports. "The campus is gorgeous. You can really tell they are invested in football, and they have big plans for the future. I want to help make an impact there and be a part of the plans that they have. Coach Kelly coached my dad in college, and that's really special to me.

"I knew during my official visit, and I told them during it," added Day. "The spring has been crazy, but I'm happy to finally be at a decision."

RJ Day could have committed to Ohio State. The Buckeyes had interest in the son of the head coach. Other schools that expressed interest were Cincinnati, Syracuse, Boston College, etc.

But RJ Day admitted that Ohio State wasn't the "best place" for him.

RJ Day explained that he wanted to be his own man, essentially.

Son of Ryan Day opens up about his commitment

RJ Day admitted that if he went to Ohio State, everyone would think that he is only there because of his dad. He's had to live his entire life as the "son of Ryan Day." He wants to be his own man at Northwestern.

That's certainly something that everyone can respect.

RJ Day will look to create his own path at Northwestern.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 6:34 AM.